Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel fungicide compositions comprising (A) fluopyram, (B) at least one further succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) inhibitor and optionally further (C) at least one triazole fungicide, whereas the invention especially comprises such novel fungicide compositions of (A) fluopyram, (B) bixafen and (C) at least one triazole fungicide, which is preferably prothioconazole. The present invention also relates to the use of such novel fungicide compositions for improving growth in crops, comprising preventively and/or curatively controlling pathogenic fungi and/or nematodes, resistance management and improving plant physiology effects by enhancing root growth, improving greening, improving water use efficiency, improving nitrogen-use efficacy, delaying senescence and enhancing yield.
Description of Related Art:
International patent application WO 2005/077901 A1 and the corresponding European patent EP 1751109 B1 generally disclose fungicide compositions comprising a pyridylethylbenzamide derivative and a compound capable of inhibiting the transport of electrons of the respiratory chain in phytopathogenic fungal organisms. Object of this earlier invention are mainly binary compositions referring inter alia to the binary combination of fluopyram and bixafen. Further it is generally stated therein, that such binary compositions may further comprise additional fungicides but no concrete ternary combinations are specified. Thus the specific ternary combination of fluopyram, bixafen and a fungicide which is selected from the group of triazole fungicides or even more the concrete ternary combination of fluopyram, bixafen and prothioconazole is new in the sense of a selection invention as on the one hand the binary combination of (A) fluopyram and (B) bixafen is selected from a first list of possible binary combinations and the triazole fungicide, especially prothioconazole (C) is selected from a second general list of fungicides.
Furthermore the inventors of the present invention surprisingly found the new use of a binary combination of (A) fluopyram and (B) a succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) inhibitor, which may optionally further comprise (C) at least one triazole fungicide for improving growth in crops, wherein the improvement is characterized by at least one of the effects of the group consisting of preventively and/or curatively controlling pathogenic fungi and/or nematodes, resistance management and improving plant physiology effects by enhancing root growth, improving greening, improving water use efficiency, improving nitrogen-use efficacy, delaying senescence and enhancing yield.
Especially the use of such fungicidal composition combinations for preventively and/or curatively controlling pathogenic fungi, comprising resistance management, in cereals and/or relating to selected pathogenic fungi is a selection invention over WO 2005/077901 A1 and the corresponding EP 1751109 B1 as therein combinations of fluopyram and SDH inhibitors (complex II inhibitors) specifically only refer to the treatment of Cucumis sativus species crops and the treatment of Botrytis sp. or Sphaerotheca fuliginea. 
Thus the selection of the combination of fluopyram with a complex II inhibitor (SDH inhibitor) on the one hand and the selection of the treatment of cereals and cereal destruents, respectively, on the other hand can be seen as a selection invention over the mentioned prior art. Even more, the selection of on the one hand the even more specific ternary active compound combination of (A) fluopyram and (B) a SDH inhibitor and (C) a triazole fungicide is selected from a first list of possible active compound combinations and on the other hand the specific use for preventively and/or curatively controlling pathogenic fungi, comprising resistance management, in cereals and/or for selected pathogenic fungi is selected from a second list of possible effects or uses.
The same holds true for the international patent application WO 2012/072660 A1, which relates to the use of fluopyram for controlling nematodes in crops. This document further generally mentions the use of fluopyram in combination with additional agrochemically active compounds as combination partners, which may be selected from the group consisting of fungicides, bactericides, insecticides, acaricides, nematicides, molluscicides, safeners, plant growth regulators and plant nutrients as well as biological control agents. The diverse lists of such potential combination partners inter alia comprise a list of SDH inhibitors, the list comprising inter alia bixafen, and a list of fungicides, comprising inter alia triazole fungicides as e.g. prothioconazole.
Nevertheless, no concrete combination of fluopyram with an active ingredient from the group of SDH inhibitors and further with a triazole fungicide or even more the concrete combination of fluopyram with bixafen and optionally prothioconazole for the use in the treatment of crops against nematodes is disclosed therein. Even more, the concrete examples solely refer to the use of fluopyram alone but not to any binary or ternary active ingredient composition. Accordingly, the use of the active ingredient combination of the present invention in the treatment of crops for preventively and/or curatively controlling nematodes is new, too.
The international patent application WO 2011/110583 A2 describes fungicidal combinations and compositions, useful e.g. for controlling phytopathogenic fungi, comprising a triazolyl compound of formula (I) and at least one fungicidal compound selected from a large group of fungicides. Most of triazole fungicides claimed as combination partners in the present invention are not covered by Formula (I) of WO 2011/110583 A2, including the most preferred triazole fungicides prothioconazole, tebuconazole, and epoxyconazole. There are also ternary combinations listed in extensive tables, some of them comprising fluopyram and bixafen, however, the third combination partner, a triazole, is different from the triazole fungicides claimed in the present invention.
The international patent application WO 2010/146006 A2 relates to fungicidal composition comprising an azolylmethyloxirane compound of formula (I) and a second component selected from a large group of fungicides and other agrochemical compounds. None of the triazole fungicides claimed as combination partners in the present invention are covered by Formula (I) of WO 2010/146006 A2. There are also ternary combinations listed in extensive tables, some of them comprising fluopyram and bixafen, however, the third combination partner, an azolylmethyloxirane, is different from the triazole fungicides claimed in the present invention. Further, there are quaternary combinations listed in extensive tables comprising fluopyram, bixafen and prothioconazole, in addition to an azolylmethyloxirane of formula (I) that is not claimed in the present invention.
The US patent application US 2007/123541 relates fungicidal compositions comprising at least a pyridylethylbenzamide derivative of formula (I) and a compound capable of inhibiting the ergosterol biosynthesis, e.g. a triazole, imidazole, morpholine, or piperidine derivative, fenhexamide, spiroxamine, or triforine, and optionally one further fungicide. Preferably, the pyridylethylbenzamide derivative is fluopyram. The examples show synergistic fungicidal combinations comprising fluopyram and different triazole fungicides on infected wheat plants. There are ternary combinations claimed but bixafen is not disclosed as additional combination partner.
The US patent application US 2007/060579 relates to binary fungicidal combinations comprising bixafen (1-1) and a further fungicide selected from a large list. This list also includes a number of triazole fungicides but it does not include fluopyram. Additionally, in any case the use of such active compound compositions for improving plant physiology effects such as e.g. for enhanced root growth, improved greening, improved water use efficiency, improved nitrogen-use efficacy, delayed senescence and enhanced yield, either alone or in combination with one or more of the effects as described herein, has not been mentioned in such earlier prior art documents and is thus clearly new.
The beneficial effects and new use of the selected active ingredient compositions of the present invention have now been shown by the inventors of the present invention for the first time and were not obviously suggested by the mentioned documents.
An overview of molecular mechanisms and evolution of resistance to SDHI fungicides in phytopathogenic fungi is given in Avenot, H F et al., Crop Protection 29 (2010) 643-651. This article also describes cross-resistance relationships between the SDHI fungicides boscalid, penthiopyrad, and fluopyram. Assuming a positive cross-resistance pattern for fungicides acting in mitochondrial complex II, the sensitivity profile of selected Alternaria alternata boscalid-resistant mutants and wild-type isolates to penthiopyrad and fluopyram was determined. Whereas the Alternaria alternata boscalid-resistant isolates carrying SDH-mutations were not affected by penthiopyrad, fluopyram in vitro strongly inhibited the mycelial growth of Alternaria alternata SDH-mutants. The discrepancy of cross-resistance pattern of fluopyram with compounds from the same cross-resistance group probably results from the higher intrinsic activity observed for this fungicide and this also suggests that the binding site of fluopyram in complex II may slightly differ from that of other SDHI fungicides and that additional unique mechanism of resistance to fluopyram may arise. Another publication by the same author (Avenot, H F et al., Pest Manag Sci 2011, (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI 10.1002/ps. 2311) pertains to the Molecular characterization of boscalid- and penthiopyrad-resistant isolates of Didymella bryoniae causing gummi stem blight and assessment of their sensitivity to fluopyram.
The use of a fungicidal composition comprising fluopyram and at least one further succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) inhibitor for improving growth in crops, wherein the improvement is characterized by at least one of the effects of the group consisting of preventively and/or curatively controlling pathogenic fungi and/or nematodes, resistance management, and improved plant physiology effects selected from enhanced root growth, improved greening, improved water use efficiency, improved nitrogen-use efficiency, delayed senescence and enhanced yield is neither described nor suggested in these publications.
It is always of high interest in agriculture to provide novel pesticidal combinations or novel active compound compositions with improved effects for use in protecting crops and improving plant growth and improving plant physiology effects. In this context special focus is put on improved fungicidal activity and synergistic effects of such novel active compound compositions as well as on the combination of a fast efficiency besides a long lasting efficiency to provide increased flexibility with regard to the time of application. In this context, one aim is to provide a new active compound composition, which allows application of the composition when the plant has already been infested with the pathogens and thus achieve a curative effect.
A further aspect with respect to improved efficiency of such novel compound compositions comprises minimization of the doses of chemical products spread in the environment and reduction of the costs of the treatment.